Lacing-string.



No. 654,898. Patented July 3|, I900.

- I G. T. KELLY.

\ LACING STRING.

(Application filed June 21, 1899.) (No Model.)

vz fiw q z i? W 5 PM i W lea-w;

NITED STATES PATENT O FICE.

GEORGE T. KELLY, OF DES MOINES, IOWA.

LAClNG-STRING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 654,898, dated July 31, 1900.

Application filed June 21, 1899. Serial No. 721,302. (No model.)

To aZZwhom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, GEORGE T. KELLY, of Des Moines, in the county of Polk and State of Iowa, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Lacing-Strings; andI- do hereby declare that the followingis a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to improvements in metal bindings or clasps used upon the ends of lacing-stringv-such as shoe-lacings,"corset-strings, and the like-40 form a rigid end portion thereon.

The object of the invention is to provide an improved construction in such metal clasps whereby the same may be easily and cheaply applied and will be strongly and permanently secured to the lacings.

The invention consists in the'matters hereinafter described, and pointed out in the appended claim.

In said drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of a lacing-strin g provided with a metal clasp made in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is a similar view showing the first step in the application to the lacing-string of the metal plate of which the clasp is formed. Fig. 3 shows the second step in the process. Fig. 4 is an enlarged cross-section of the completed clasp. Fig. 5 is a face view of a plate provided with holding points or prongs. Fig. 6 shows another form of such plate. Fig. 7 shows still another form thereof. Fig. 8 is a cross-section taken on line 8 8 of Fig. 6.,

As shown in said drawings, A indicates a flat string of flexible material, such as is ordinarily made of a Woven or braided fabric.

B indicates as a whole a metal end piece, clasp, or binding-plate, which is folded at its margins over the side edges of the string and also folded with the string to form a solid and rigid end narrower than the original width of thestring. As shown in the draw: ings, said plate B has its marginal portions 1) b at either side thereof bent or clasped over the side margins of the string, and it has a central fold or bend extending longitudinally thereof, so that said marginal portions are parallel and in contact with each other be tween the folded parts of the string, while the lateral edges of the plate are adjacent to each other and rest within the longitudinal fold of said string. The process of folding is shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 3. In Fig. 2 the plate B is fiat. and the end of the lacingstring rests upon the central part of the plate. As seen in Fig.3, the lateral marginal parts I) b of the plate have been folded over the side edges of the string, so as to bring the extreme edges Z1 b of the plate together, or nearly so, at the central or medianline of the string. Fig. 1 shows the finished lacing end, the plate when in the form shown in Fig. 3 having been bent on its central longitudinal line with the string embraced thereby in such manner as to bring the marginal parts I) I) together and inside of the fold of the string. The metal plate will be pressed firmly against the string in the operation of folding, so as to clamp or clasp the same tightly between the folded parts of said plate, and by reason of the double folding described the end of the string with the plate is not only made solidand rigid, but the plate is strongly and permanently secured to the string. It may, how ever, in some instances be desired to provide holding means for securing the binding-plate of the string additional to that afforded by the clamping action of the plate on the in= folded string, and as a separate and further improvement I propose to provide the plate B with holding points or prongs adapted to project from the inner face thereof or that which engages the lacing. Such prongs may be made in several different ways. As shown in Fig. 5, they are formed by making V- shaped incisions in the marginalparts of the plate in such manner that the apex of each incision reaches to the edge of the plate and then bending the points thereby formed at right angles with the body of the plate,as clearly shownin the sectional view Fig. 6. As shown in Fig. 7, the plate is provided with V-shaped incisions in the body thereof, the said incisions being arranged so that the pointed ends thereof are directed towardthe end of the plate, which is at. the outer end of the string, the prongs formed by the incisions being bent at right angles with the plate, as before stated. In Fig. 7 V-shaped incisions are shown as arranged in the marginalparts of the plate with their points directed out a wardly, so that the prongs formed thereby being' loeated-between the folded parts'of the will be' iloeated in the parts I) b of the plate string and being parallel, :and in contact,- which are folded over the side edges of the with each other.. 7

string. In testimony that I claim the foregoingas '15 5 I claim as myinventionmy invention I affix my signature, in pres- The combination witha flat lacing-string, ence of two witnesses, this 16th day of June, of a folded metal plate embracing the end of a A. D. 1899. Q the string and bent inwardly at its side mar- GEO. '1. KELLY. gins over the side edges of the string gsaidt Witnesses: 10 plate and the string havinga central 1ongi-: J. A. CAVANAGH,

tudinal fold and the side margins of the plate, SAML THULEN. 

